Ventilating accessory for air conditioning units



Unit d States jpatent Patented Feb. 7, 1967 3,302,553 VENTILATING ACCESSORY FOR AIR CONDITIONING UNITS Bernard Shearn, 327 E. 102nd St., New York, N.Y. 10029 Filed Apr. 18, 1966. Ser. No. 543,202 5 Claims. (CI. 9894) This invention relates to an accessory for use with a room air conditioning unit whether mounted in a window or an aperture in the Wall.

Many room air conditioners do not provide for freshair intake from the outside when the unit is set in the ventilating position wherein only the circulating fan is operating and the cooling cycle is turned off. In that position, the unit functions as a ventilating fan only and merely recirculates the air from the room. Such operation is desirable when the season, such as spring or fall, does not require cooling of the air but merely circulation and intake of fresh outside air to ventilate the room. Even if the air conditioning unit is of the type provided with built in fresh-air intake means to bring in air from the outside when the unit is in the air circulating position with the cooling cycle switched off, the fresh-air intake means may be of inadequate capacity for proper and full ventilation, since its primary function is to provide a limited supply of outside air to mix with the cooled room air. The fresh-air intake means are in many cases not provided with filter means.

An object of this invention is to provide an accessory or attachment for an existing air conditioning unit to supply fresh outside air thereto whereby the effectiveness of the unit as a ventilating means is greatly increased. The accessory is so constructed and arranged that it can supply fresh outside air to any type air conditioning unit, and at any time, that is, in any of the operative settings of the unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an outside fresh-air accessory for an air conditioning unit, the accessory being provided with air flow regulating means whereby the flow of outside air and room air to the intake of the unit may be proportionally and variably controlled, from a 100% flow of outside air and of room air to 100% room air and 0% outside air.

Another object of this invention is to increase the room ventilating effectiveness and efficiency of an existing conventional air conditioning unit during the times when there is no need for its cooling cycle, as in the spring, fall, or similar mild weather. The same applies to air conditioning units which may be provided with heating units.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the general positioning of the accessory relative to the air conditioning unit, the accessory being shown in section and the unit partly in sec tion;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the accessory;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the accessory taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 1 shows the overall relationship of the accessory generally designated as 1 to a conventional air conditioning unit 2. As shown, accessory I is supported on sill 3 directly, or it may be supported by the usual air conditioner bracket support means (not shown). The manner of supporting accessory 1 is immaterial and depends upon how the air conditioner would be normally supported on the sill.

Unit 2 is of the type having a decorative grill or decorative front structure. In the shown embodiment the grill structure 4 is made of wood, but may be made of plastic or metal. Grill 4, as shown, fits over the front portion of unit 2 and has a front door 5 and a partition 6 which separates the louvred intake openings 7 of the unit from the discharge openings 8. Grill 4 together with the front face of unit 1 forms an intake chamber 9 having an open end 10, and a discharge chamber 11, the latter chamber having openings 12 therein to permit flow of air from the unit to the room.

The accessory comprises a casing structure made up of top 13, bottom 14, sides 15 and 16, outside end 17 and inside end 18. The sides and ends may be formed integrally with the top or bottom, or may be formed by separate members secured to the top and bottom elements making up the casing. Since the accessory is to support the weight of the air conditioner, it is preferable to make the sides and ends in the form of a frame of sufiicient capacity to support the unit, and secure the top and bottom thereto as by spot welding, or by other suitable means.

A longitudinally arranged partition means 19 in the form of a sheet is located in the casing and secured by suitable means to top 13, bottom 14, and ends 17 and 18 to form chambers 20 and 21. Chamber 20 is utilized to conduct fresh outside air by forming outside intake opening 22 in the bottom 14 (FIGS. 2 and 5) and inside outlet opening 23 in top 13 (FIGS. 1 and 4). Thus chamber 20 actually forms a fresh-air duct having the intake opening 22 located outside the room and the outlet opening 23 inside the room. As shown in FIG. 1 outside air enters intake opening 22, flows through the duct or chamber 20, and flows through outlet opening 23 into open end 10 of intake chamber 9 adjacent the intake openings 7 of the unit. Preferably a screen or filter means, or both, may be provided for opening 22. In the embodiment shown, filter 24 filters the outside air reaching the room.

The inside end of chamber 21 forms a passage means for room-air to reach intake chamber 9. The passage means is formed by providing room-air intake opening 26 in bottom 14 (FIGS. 3 and 4), and room-air outlet opening 27 in top 13 (FIGS. 3-4) above opening 26, so that a through passage is formed for room-air to flow into intake chamber 9 adjacent openings 7.

To regulate and proportion the flow of fresh and room air a slide damper structure 28 is provided. In the preferred form the damper structure comprises a grooved frame 29 having outer edge 30 and inner edge 31. The frame is positioned to overlie openings 23 and 27. It may be secured to top 13 by screws, welded thereto, or by any other means. In groove 32 within frame 29 slides damper 34 which is provided with a knob 35 for manual movement. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, damper 34 covers fully fresh-air outlet opening 23 when it is moved to its extreme left hand position (FIG. 4), and it fully covers room-air outlet opening 27 when it is moved to its extreme right hand position. When damper 34 is moved to any intermediate position it partly covers openings 23 and 27. Thus, in its extreme right end position, damper 34 fully uncovers fresh-air outlet opening 23 for flow of fresh outside air and fully covers opening 27 for no flow of room-air. In the extreme left hand position, damper 34 provides for 100% room-air and no flow of fresh-air. In any of its intermediate positions fresh-air and room-air may be proportioned as desired.

The manner of using and relating the accessory is disclosed in FIG. 1. Accessory 1 is placed on the sill. The air conditioning unit is placed on the accessory and both are maintained on the sill by the units support means (not shown). The accessory is so related that the front face of the unit with its intake and discharge opening 7 and 8 are positioned adjacent the outer edge 30 of the damper structure 28. The decorative or front grill means 4 is placed on the unit, and as shown in FIG. 1 and explained above, the assembly of the several parts cooperate to form openended intake chamber 9 and discharge chamber 11. Thus, the floor or bottom of the intake chamber 9 comprises the room-end of accessory I which has outlet openings 23 and 27 controlled by the damper means 23.

In operation, when unit 2 merely acts as a ventilating fan and fresh outside air is desired damper 34 is moved to the right to open fresh-air outlet opening 23 the desired amount and to proportionally close opening 27. Access to the damper is through door 5, or any other suitable opening provided in means 4. Operation of the fan in the unit causes a flow of fresh outside air through opening and duct means 22-20-23, to intake chamber 9, then through the intake openings 7 of the unit, through the usual filter element of the unit, and the filtered air is finally discharged through the units openings 8, into chamber 11 and out through openings 12 into the room. The above flow is indicated by arrows in FIG. 1.

When unit 2 is on the cool cycle damper 34 may be adjusted to provide additional outside air to be mixed with the usual recirculated room air. If no additional outside air is desired, damper 34 is moved to fully close opening 23, and opening 27 is fully open to supply room air to the unit.

When unit 2 is ofiF, damper 34 may be used to regulate the amount of fresh air flowing through the fresh air duct means induced 'by the ambient conditions outside and in the room, or opening 23 may be completely closed.

While the function of partition means is to divide the interior of the accessory into the several duct means, it also functions as a reinforcing means to support the weight of the air conditioner, and, in general, aid in forming a rigid support means.

While a single embodiment of the invention is disclosed, it will be understood that modification may be made in the structure and assembly of elements without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is as follows:

1. The combination with an aperture-mounted room air conditioning unit of the type having a front face with air intake and discharge openings therein and grill means mounted thereon and cooperating with the front face to form an air intake chamber having an open end and an air discharge chamber, of a separate and detachable accessory to supply outside fresh-air and room-air to the open end of the intake chamber, the accessory comprising a casing, said casing having a top, a bottom, sides, an outside end and an inside end, a longitudinally arranged partition means within said casing connected to the top, bottom'and both ends to divide the interior of the casing info a'plurality of non-communicating longitudinally positioned chamber means, one forming a fresh-air duct and another forming a room-air duct, said fresh-air duct having a' fresh-air outlet opening located in the top and ad jacent the inside end and a fresh-air inlet opening spaced from said fresh-air outlet opening, said room-air duct having a room-air outlet opening located in the top adja} cent the fresh-air outlet opening and a room-air inlet opening spaced from the room-air outlet opening, adjustable damper means mounted adjacent the fresh-air and room-air outlet openings to variably and alternatively cover and uncover said openings, the accessory being located adjacent the unit with the fresh-air inlet opening and the outside end outside the room and the portion of the top having the fresh-air and room-air outlet openings closing off the open end of the intake chamber and thereby connecting both ducts to the intake chamber.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the separate accessory acts a the supporting base for the unit, the unit sitting on the top with the front face adjacent the fresh-air and room-air outlet openings and the adjacent portion of the top closing the open end of the intake chamber, and a normally closed opening in the grill for access to the interior of the intake chamber for adjusting the damper.

3. An accessory for use with an air conditioning unit to supply outside and room air to the unit comprising, a casing, said casing having a top, a bottom, sides, an inside end and an outside end, a longitudinally arranged partition within said casing connected to the top, bottom, and both ends thereby dividing the interior of the casing into a fresh-air duct means and a room-air duct means alongside thereto, said fresh-air duct means having a fresh-air intake opening located adjacent the outside end, and an outlet opening in the top adjacent the inner end, said room-air duct having a room-air intake opening adjacent the inside end and an outlet opening in the top adjacent the outlet opening of the fresh-air duct, a damper means comprising a movable member mounted on the top adjacent said outlet openings and movable over said outlet openings to variably and alternatively cover and uncover said outlet openings, guide means along the outlet openings cooperating with said movable member to guide it over the openings.

4. The accessory of claim 3 wherein the guide means comprises a frame mounted on the top and encompassing said outlet openings and the movable member reciprocates within the frame over the outlet openings.

5. The accessory of claim 4 wherein the frame has parallel groove means and the movable member is slidable within said groove means from one extreme position, wherein it fully covers one outlet opening and leaves the other outlet opening fully uncovered, to another extreme position, wherein it fully covers said other outlet opening and leaves said one outlet opening fully uncovered, said movable member in its movement to said other extreme position progressively uncovering said one outlet opening and covering said other outlet opening to variably and alternatively cover and uncover said outlet openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,958,225 5/1934 Askin 62-262 X 2,286,749 6/ 1942 McElgin 23 638 2,401,560 6/1946 Graham et al 16559 X 2,542,763 2/1951 Frisk l6516 X 2,633,070 3/1953 Gillham 9838 3,165,053 1/1965 Christie 9-94 ROBERT A. QLEARY, Primary Examiner M.- NT NAK s rt e" mi 

3. AN ACCESSORY FOR USE WITH AN AIR CONDITIONING UNIT TO SUPPLY OUTSIDE AND ROOM AIR TO THE UNIT COMPRISING, A CASING, SAID CASING HAVING A TOP, A BOTTOM, SIDES, AN INSIDE END AND AN OUTSIDE END, A LONGITUDINALLY ARRANGED PARTITION WITHIN SAID CASING CONNECTED TO THE TOP, BOTTOM, AND BOTH ENDS THEREBY DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OF THE CASING INTO A FRESH-AIR DUCT MEANS AND A ROOM-AIR DUCT MEANS ALONGSIDE THERETO, SAID FRESH-AIR DUCT MEANS HAVING A FRESH-AIR INTAKE OPENING LOCATED ADJACENT THE OUTSIDE END, AND AN OUTLET OPENING IN THE TOP ADJACENT THE INNER END, SAID ROOM-AIR DUCT HAVING A ROOM-AIR INTAKE OPENING ADJACENT THE INSIDE END AND AN OUTLET OPENING IN THE TOP ADJACENT THE OUTLET OPENING OF THE FRESH-AIR DUCT, A DAMPER MEANS COMPRISING A MOVABLE MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE TOP ADJACENT SAID OUTLET OPENINGS AND MOVABLE OVER SAID OUTLET OPENINGS TO VARIABLY AND ALTERNATIVELY COVER AND UNCOVER SAID OUTLET OPENINGS, GUIDE MEANS ALONG THE OUTLET OPENINGS COOPERATING WITH SAID MOVABLE MEMBER TO GUIDE IT OVER THE OPENINGS. 